Apparatus for testing ignition systems for internal combustion engines



y 1957. F. R. F. RAMSAY 2,791,745

APPARATUS FOR TESTING IGNITION SYSTEMS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Filed March 3, 1954 26 27 VOLTS 4 [TIME r0 MAGNETO PRIMARY United States Patent APPARATUS FOR TESTING IGNITION SYSTEMS FOR INTERNAL COMBUSTION ENGINES Frank Raymond Faber Ramsay, London, England, as-

signor to D. Napier & Son Limited, London, England, a company of Great Britain Application March 3, 1954, Serial No. 413,879

4 Claims. (Cl. 324-16) This invention relates to apparatus for testing ignition systems for internal combustion engines, of the kind including an oscillograph adapted for connection to part of the ignition system so as to receive impulses and give indications representing the impulses delivered to the sparking plugs, and means for synchronising the time base of the oscillograph with the cycle of the engine so that figures representing the impulses for a series of sparking plugs are produced by the trace in sequence on the screen of the cathode ray tube or its equivalent. Certain forms of testing apparatus of this general kind are described in United States patent specifications Nos. 2,450,164, 2,487,070 and 2,487,071.

In the apparatus described in the U. S. specifications referred to, the time base of the oscillograph is synchronised with the engine cycle by triggering the time base by a triggering impulse tapped off from one of thesparking plugs. For some purposes, however, this form of synchronisation may be inconvenient or otherwise undesirable.

It is an object of the present invention to provide testing apparatus of the kind specified in which the time base of the oscillograph is synchronised with the engine cycle in another way.

According to the present invention, in a .testing apparatus of the kind specified, the time base of the oscillograph is synchronised with the engine cycle by an impulse generated in a pick-up disposed near to a cyclically moving part of the engine, which part is adapted to produce a change of flux through the pick-up at a particular point in its movement which approximately coincides with a particular firing point in the engine cycle.

In order that the nature of the invention may be more clearly understood, and without prejudice to the generality of the appended claims, a particular embodiment will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure l is a view of a six cylinder four-stroke cycle internal combustion engine with magneto ignition connected to an oscillograph for testing in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is a diagram showing the voltage of the primary circuit of the magneto during one distributor revolution, i. e. during two crankshaft revolutions;

Figure 3 is a diagram showing the impulses received from the pick-up during two crankshaft revolutions; and

Figure 4 is a circuit diagram.

The six cylinder four-stroke cycle internal combustion engine shown in Figure 1 is provided with a magneto 11 which supplies high voltage impulses to the six sparking plugs. Mounted on the flywheel housing 12 of the engine is an electro-magnetic pick-up 13. This may be a permanent fitting provided primarily as a means for ascertaining when tthe engine crankshaft 14 is in the top dead centre position, the flywheel having a hole in its periphery, or a projection thereon, adapted to produce a change of flux through the pick-up each time the hole or projection is in the immediate vicinity of the pick-up,

2,791,745 Patented May 7, 1957 namely at the top dead centre position of the crankshaft. In the present invention the pick-up 13 is used for another purpose, namely for triggering the time base of an oscillograph 15 which is used for testing the operation of the magneto ignition system.

The primary circuit of the magneto 11 is connected by means of a lead 16 to a terminal 17 of the oscillograph, on the screen 18 of which is produced a trace in the vertical sense corresponding to the primary voltage of the magneto. The general arrangement of an oscillograph for this purpose is fully described in the U. S. patents referred to above. The trace is moved in the horizontal sense by means of a conventional time base circuit included in the oscillograph 15 and which is triggered by an external impulse, in this case a voltage impulse received from the pick-up 13 through a lead 19.

For reasons described more fully hereinafter,'t he time base must be triggered not on every crankshaft revolution but on every alternate revolution, with the result that the trace produced on the screen 18 is as shown in Figure 2, in which there are six occasions, illustrated by the peaks 20 to 25, at which voltages are generated in the primary circuit of the magneto 11 for energising the secondary circuit and producing a spark in an engine cylinder. With a magneto ignition system the peaks are positive and negative alternately.

Since the hole orprojection in the engine flywheel will sweep past the pick-up 13 on every revolution, voltage impulses 26 and 27 (Figure 3) will be produced by the pick-up in every revolution. If, therefore, the time base were triggered by every voltage impulse received from the pick-up the trace of the magneto primary voltage would repeat itself after every third peak instead or after every sixth peak, which would be undesirable since thetrace would. then not present such a clear picture of the ignition process. It is therefore necessary to select alternate impulses from the pick-up so that the time base is triggeredby the voltage impulses 26 but not by alternate voltage impulses 27.

This can be achieved by a circuit as shown in Figure 4, in which the lead 19 from the pick-up 13 is connected to the grid 28 of a triode 29. The anode 30 is connected through the primary winding 31 of a trans former 32 to the primary circuit of the magneto, for instance the lead 33 shown in Figure 4 maybe connected to the back of the terminal 17 shown in Figure l. The secondary winding 34 of the transformer 32 is connected to the time base circuit for triggering this circuit whenever the secondary windirig 34 is energised.

The triode 29 is biassed to cut-off at the maximum positive voltage in the magneto primary circuit, and the pick-up voltage applied to the grid 28 exceeds this bias by a sufiicient margin to give an adequate triggering impulse through the transforrner 32 to the time base circuit under all operating conditions of the engine. Thus the triode 29 is conductive only when the grid 28 receives a voltage impulse from the pick-up 13 and the anode 30 simultaneously receives a positive voltage impulse from the magneto primary. Thus the triode 29 will be conductive when the pick-up voltage impulse 26 is applied to the grid, since this impulse coincides with the positive magneto primary voltage impulse 20. On the other hand, when the pick-up voltage impulse 27 is applied to the grid the triode will not conduct, because this impulse 27 coincides with the negative magneto primary voltage impulse 23. On the other two positive peaks 22 and 24 of the magneto primary voltage there will be no impulse from the pick-up 13 to the grid 28 so that the triode 29 will also be non-conductive for these peaks. Thus the triode will conduct, and a triggering impulse will be supplied to the time base circuit, only once in two crankshaft revolutions.

For permitting the grid charge to leak away between impulses, a gridleak resistance 35 is provided.

The pick-up 13 is so disposed that it provides an impulse at the top dead centre position of the crankshaft, but the spark will generally be timed to occur several crankshaft degrees before top dead centre. However, in most cases the voltage impulse from the'magneto primary circuit will persist at least until the crankshaft is at top dead centre. To ensure this necessary persistenceot the primary voltage impulse even at larger angle of: igniti n a ce, a me d lay or storing vice may be pro ide su h as a n en 6 n he anode re itf p mpuls is n rong en ugh t nsure eeu -btt bias is xc ed d nder al open sting oi he a onven io a amp ifi 51 an be p ovide be we n. he p k-up nd he triode 22- While in he rran ement s r bed he means or ntempting th pick-no hnpul es. on e e y o her revolution s a thermion t b it would b Possible i s d o no ide an electroma tic r ay or t purpos e er is ns c il th elay ein eonne d s to receive cur ent rom he m gne s pr mary ndin a d to a ract. a magnet for closin he eh a o h n h magn toprint ry o t e i pos t e- As a thi he a t rna i e, 1 th rm oni ube mployin t a doub e id ld, be s d; he impu s om t niek up 13 being applied to one grid and the impulse from the p im ry ci c i e. ma neto b ng. spelle o the o hei" gridz the anod be ng p man ly P s tive po ntia n e b b n es ed o ut ot a a times except when both grids are positively charged.

- I wi l be ppr c a e hat h t rts o h n e ti n describe above i on y itabl or use i h n i es o he ype i whi h the e is n d numb r o fi in positi n 'pe nksha e ion inee n en nes h at even num e i firing p i i n per c n sha t t lm tiou an imp ls o he s m pola ity ld be i d tro the p ma y ci cui o h ma e t o ne r he top' dead c n e po ition. a e ery etenlsshe t e ol ion. instead of at every o her ankshaf v e o u ohhe sys em d seribed w uld al o be uns able o n n having'a coil ignition system in which the primary volta e of the i ni ys em i ay o t om P ar y- Eor sueb en in s in whi he appara u des r bo cou no be used, it wou d be n e sary o p ide a. aielt-un' hos tha i influenc d by an en in pe t w i m 'eyeli lly a half r kshaft speed; fo 'ios ehe a member tor h s part oi o co nec e to the eethsb tt- On the other hand, a pic -up ass ci ted i h he n: s flywheel as shown in igur 1 cou d be u ed tot tri gering he ime base o ah n ne working on the two-stro e cycl i whi h e equence f ni i n puls s is repea e at ea h c a sh f re ut on hu ha ing to pro ide in e upt n the e n the Pi k-up irc it What I claim as my invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. Apparatus for testing the ignition system of a spark ignition four-stroke cycle internal combustion engine, having an odd number of firing positions per crankshaft revolution, said ignition system including a magneto the primary circuit of which produces alternate voltage impulses of opposite polarity, comprising an oscillograph a time base circuit in said oscillograph, a pick-up which co-operates with a part of said engine which moves cyclically at crankshaft speed to generate an electrical impulse at a particular point in the movement of said part, alternate electrical impulses corresponding approximately with a particular firing point in the engine cycle, means tor conveying electrical impulses from said pick-up to said time base circuit for triggering said time base circuit, and means for permitting said leet eel. ht u se to r ver s id e tty yihe mea s n hen aid a ne o r eit uit s P Qd l l see m ulse of a Pettt uler po a y- Am ta us es lel ned n 'e e m 1. i which he means or er ittin sa mpuls to ra el r h p kp o th ti e base e r u t c mprise a thermionic u ad pted t be eo t uet onl whe S i p is pr heth obie tube. is. e ttio e he n k-op is eomleeted o the grid of said triode, and the magneto primary cireuitis eet hee ed to he an de of sa ios h r being it conne ti n bet een he ett d rcui o sa bios-ls and he t me ase ei reu o the seillo e h f resst tt hs e rig eri g im ul e to h t me e eireuit y when th tri e is .eoh ue iye- 4- Annsreto o test n h ni on sy tem o e fo stroke cycle internal combustion engine having an odd number o r ng pos t eos net cranksh f e t n, said gnit on ystem aen retihs l eme e vo ta m u se of o po i P arit eotn ris tis n o eillo te s tim s circuit in said oscillographQa pick-up which cooperates th a Par f is en n hieh mo e e l ly at ngin e d to nera e a eleet te' l mpul o a h e gin re luti n, me ns f r e e in electrical mphl s t ht a d risk-up o seid m b s s o for i g ing s id, imeb se. eit t t, an m a responsive t lt m ul es o e po ar y generated by h n ion s em. h eh mit h sa d eleet es hn u generated by th ni k-ob o te et e sai e h ey s me n ly h n a bl a e' t tp tls s ar of sai one p l r y, hereby only eve al ernate eleet iee m ul r m a pi k-hpt ss ts s e e- References Cited in the file of this patent urnrnp. STATES PATENTS Q... 0 r-Ce 

